


The Shrine of the River God

by sunshoyo



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Childhood Sweethearts, Ghosts and Spirits, Gods and Spirits, Japanese Folklores, M/M, Public Bathhouse, Spirited Away - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2020-06-23
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:34:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24872377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunshoyo/pseuds/sunshoyo
Summary: "I remember you. Your real name is Miya Osamu."
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Miya Osamu
Comments: 4
Kudos: 15





	The Shrine of the River God

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! I write this as I find Osaaka and Spirited Away as two very precious things to me. I really hope everyone would enjoy this as much as I did during he process of writing this. 
> 
> A few changes are made with close reference to Japanese religion (Dōsōjin statue is replaced with Inari Statue) and the possible names for side characters (Kita as Lin).
> 
> There will also be a few kanji lessons and elaboration provided in the end notes to give an all round explanation for the story! As we all know, Keiji (京治）and Osamu (治) both has a similar syllable in kanji form.
> 
> I intend that everyone could vividly feel the subtle beauty from both sides in this story. Happy Reading!
> 
> Disclaimer: All Haikyuu characters adapted belong to Furudate-sensei and the entire background and characters of Spirited Away belongs to Hayao Miyazaki.

Change can be a painful thing. The process of entering a new phase of life and leaving what you’re accustomed to can be daunting. That’s exactly what a 10 years old Akaashi Keiji was experiencing for the first time in his life.

Change can be something sad and sorrowful but still find remnants of strength within to pack up your clothes and miscellaneous things into one big luggage and move to a new town.

‘You will be in a new environment with new neighbours, new space, new friends and new school.’ Keiji's mother had convinced him.

Keiji was sitting upside down on the cushion, swaying the plastic bouquet given by Bokuto and his friends on his hands and stared into the small card tucked in the bouquet of lilies. His eyes dimmed at the words written across the parchment.

> _**Goodluck, Keiji! (* ^ ω ^)** _

A cute smiley face drawn with black marker pen was decorated right next to his name. A frown finds itself on Keiji’s face and he huffs, positioning himself upright. A few pink plethoras were scattered on the seat which elicited alarmed expression from the young boy.

“Okaa-san! The flower petals are all over the place!”, Keiji’s tone was upset.

“What can we do, dear? Real flowers aren’t meant to last. You even sprayed some water but it will wilt in the end.”, Keiji’s mother nonchalantly answered.

Indeed. Everything will die eventually. Even the flowers he held so dearly in his hands, will morph into a wilted flower in the end. Keiji’s heart dropped to his stomach at the thought and pulled the card and carefully inserted it in his back pocket. His slender fingers are careful to not fold or to tear the thin paper in the process.

The place they were moving to was a tranquil and bustling town situated in the Kansai region. Keiji’s father was an aspiring architect who was thoroughly intrigued with the massive potential of Hyogo to be a city of booming business with the correct urban management. The location was a popular tourist spot with a rich history. There were numerous hot springs, shrines and temples, islands and a clear blue sky, giving its all glory to the panoramic mountain.

“Look there, Keiji! Don’t you think our new house is beautiful?”, Keiji’s father cheerfully remarked, attempting to ease his son’s grumpy mood since the start of the car ride.

Keiji looked out of the window unwillingly, noticing that it was placed on a plane overlooking the island in the distance. It was a two-storey house and painted in blue, a square window opening around the wall. Keiji is still deadpanned.

“Kamisama. The traffic is jammed.”, he suddenly blurted out and the mother was rambling the same thing. Keiji’s curious eyes still stared at the house and he imagined how his new life would be in Hyogo.

Lush green trees were suddenly in view and before Keiji could process it, the tyres were already screeching against the earthy ground with full speed. Making all the vision in the small forest path to be a blur, a huge Inari statue was placated and few tiny houses were blooming like mushrooms around it caught Keiji’s interest.

“Okaa-san! W-what’s the tiny houses for?”

“Ah. Keiji-kun that’s what we call the houses for the forest spirits.”

A shiver crawled down Keiji’s spine and all the hairs rising on his skin by the mention of ‘spirits’.

“Dear! I don’t think we should use this shortcut”, Keiji’s mother was worried. Her tone laced with a bubbling premonition in her guts.

“Oh come on I know exactly the shortcut to our house! Don’t worry too much”, his husband responded, eyes glinting with excitement as his feet pressed the pedal to increase their speed.

“STOP! THERE’S A STATUE IN FRONT!”, his mother screamed, clutching her husband’s arms before the momentum of their sudden halt happened, Keiji was almost sent tumbling down his seat and was luckily stopped by the front cushion.

“That was dangerous! You should have slowed down!”

“Ahaha sorry honey. I was just too excited.”

The couple exitted their car, eyes scrutinizing the deserted premise. Keiji was taken by surprise at how adventurous his parents were and started to grumble again. Although he was trying his best not to let out too much frustration, he still disagreed with the idea of ‘looking around’.

Keiji nervously clutched onto his striped shirt, face showing discomfort at the eerie ambience of the forest. There was a huge red building behind the fox statue(which Keiji’s father almost crashed into) which Keiji’s father had marked as ‘Brilliant architecture.’ which his mother responded to a ‘Brings out a sense of traditional Japanese style.’.

The pair started walking towards the dark tunnel and Keiji was already with dry lips and eyes widened in fear at their unexpected behaviour.

“We are going in? Okaa-san!!! Otou-san!!!”, Keiji meekly said, his feet kicking on the ground. Panic-stricken expressions evident on his face by the beads of perspiration forming on his forehead.

A gush of winds whipped across Keiji’s face which once again raised up all the hairs on his body. Those winds were sucked into the dark entrance of the building like a vacuum. He really didn’t anticipate this.

“That’s okay, dear. Just wait in the car. We’ll just look around for a bit.”

Keiji really didn’t like to be left alone. Especially at a foreign and eerie place such as this. A mysterious aura was surrounding the place like a miasma on a mountain. Almost like a spell to entice the intruder and to bewitch thieves in a cave full of treasure, jewelleries and gold. The only difference was that there are no shining golds nor riches worth stealing in the abandoned tunnel.

The longer Keiji stared at the stone statue, the louder the thumping of his heart and soon he was practically flying to reach his mother’s hand. Holding her as they walked past the tunnel.

There were curious things placed in the tunnel which could be perceived as the sunlight spilled from the tiny window. There were porcelain bowls, chopsticks, broken pots and jugs stacked high on top of each other. A wooden rectangular table with four vacant chairs was placed in the corner. It smelled like wood but dusts were practically acting as a blanket and few ridges formed on the smooth surface as a result of termites nibbling of destruction. Still, the uneasiness in Keiji’s heart had not dissipated.

Few minutes later, a small entryway came into view. The scene before them was one you would see in a fantasy movie. There were tall grasses swaying to the rhythm of the wind, the scent of fresh earth and fragrant flowers wafted in the air causing one to be at peace instantly. The warm sun greeting their skin was gentle and it boosted the husband and wife’s moods.

“So there was a town after the building after all! Amazing!”

Then, their feets ventured further into the town which ticked Keiji’s off by the second.

“Didn’t you say we would only look around? Heyyyy! Don’t ignore me!”.

But screaming was futile as Keiji still chased after his parents. His eyebrows scrunched in a manner that he was anxious of the possible scenarios unfurling before him. This is similar to the plot of any horror story, right? The actors would be interested and then the next thing they know, ghosts flying everywhere.

It doesn’t end there. The next thing that happened was that they were lured by the aromatic smell and a fresh smell of fried sausages, roasted chickens and all sorts of street foods before them. After much exploration, they settled in an empty stall, serving big plates of variety dishes.

Their stomach rumbled and their mouths salivating at the tempting sight. Soon, Keiji finds himself unable to call for their attention. They were so engrossed in feasting like an animal that Keiji’s heart leaped.

His tiny feet wandered in the unfamiliar vicinity. He convinced himself to might as well explore the possible getaway once he moved in. The town looked strangely desolate. There was a presence and the places were well-kept but no human was in sight. As if it was an immaculate ghost town.

A tall clock tower was situated at the centre of the town. It was made of cemented stones and gray bricks. A huge oil lamp was adorned at the top, and the Kanji word of ' **油** ' was emblazoned.

To the left of the tower, there was a bridge connecting to a much larger castle. Various buildings overlap against each other but the design was nothing unfamiliar to Keiji, as the roof was an uncanny design to Osaka castle. The wooden garden bridges were big in breadth and length. Maroon handrails were also there to complete the design to provide stability and support for passerby as there were streams of river, originating from the ocean flowing beneath the bridge.

Keiji was taken by surprise at the sudden appearance of the glinting metal submerged under the sparkling water. His hands lightly grasped at the handrail as his torso leaned for a closer look. His mind analyzed the steady ripples of the water and hummed.

“Maybe this is a theme park after all.”

**Gasp.**

Keiji’s eyes widened at the young boy before him. Shocked that there was another human being roaming at the place and his mind already made to befriend him and ask for directo—

“What are you doing here?”, his soft voice sounded tenacing. The small brown pupils dilated and his face was perturbed, indicating his dismay at Keiji.

Keiji was so caught off guard that he only stood there in silence. Lips slightly parted to explain but no coherent words were formed.

The boy’s eyes frantically scanned the building and the tower before seizing Keiji’s arms, pulling Keiji behind and another free hand formed a sign under his lips, before blowing another gush of wind towards the entrance of the castle. White scales were scattered like flower petals before the boy turned to Keiji again.

“LEAVE BEFORE THE SUN SETS! I’LL DISTRACT THEM!”, the boy sounded angry. His tone raising to warn Keiji of an unspeakable reason.

Keiji’s steps were slow and unsure at first but the realization that nothing in this town was normal finally hit him hard. He dashed for the previous town and passed by stalls after stalls. The sun sets more rapidly than usual. The sky which was once an azure and clear quickly metamorphosed into one that was painted in magenta hues and orange streaks. After the strange breeze whipping across Keiji’s exposed skin, the sky quickly turned darker, as if shrouded with a black cloth and patchd with twinkling stars. Time was spinning as fast as a machine.

Lanterns were lighted and orange gleam spilling from the lamp, giving life to the once barren town. Keiji’s steps were faster as he jumped from one stairs to another, eyes still not leaving the small details of his peculiar surroundings. Shapeless and dark clothed spirit prevailed before him and some of them were clutching their umbrellas, swiftly walking across the stalls and other spirits hummed in a haunting tone.

“Okaa-san! Otou-san!!!! LET'S GO HOME! LET'S GO WE HAVE TO GO!”, Keiji pulled a similar fabric which his father had worn that morning, but it was no longer a human but rather a pig.

Disgusted and scared at the same time, Keiji leaped towards the field where they first entered and hopefully would reach the—

Puddle of clear water formed before Keiji and wetted his shoes and drenched his socks completely. He knew instantly that there was no turning back.

The grass field had turned into a river and there was no way for Keiji to swim across just to get to the building across. Besides, Keiji can’t swim.

What a disastrous event for such a petite boy. His knees wobbled and he crouched to the ground pathetically. His whole body trembled and choked sobs escaped past his throat. He was shivering all over by the cruel fate and could only stare into the distance. Even the incoming ferry steadily approaching was clearly a spiritual one and Keiji was discouraged, through and through.

Some parts of him started muttering “This is a dream a dream a dream a dream a dream a dream” like a mantra. Arms hugging his knees tightly as if that was the only thing to keep him together. Keiji’s wet face was buried in the crook of his own arms as he steadied his breathings to normal.

The darkness of the night had helped to hide Keiji from onlookers yet he felt so lonely. He wished to be found but secluded at the same time.

“Hey. Don’t be afraid.”, a soft voice greeted him. This time, the tone was not of anger but rather comforting.

Keiji braved to look up, expecting a gruesome or a scary looking spirit who enjoys feasting on a lost children by the riverbank but all thoughts dispersed as it was the same young boy earlier.

“Don’t be scared. I’m here.”, his hands smoothed Keiji’s back, rubbing slowly to soothe him. Keiji had released his grasp from his knees but the lamp originating from the ferry which shone his way made his skin look translucent!

Another fear sets into Keiji as he lets out a broken cry once again. He’s really dying!

He could feel himself fading the nearer the source of light is to the riverbank.

The boy in turquoise hakama inserted a pill in Keiji’s mouth as quick as a lightning. It was bitter and weird that Keiji’s reflex was to vomit but the young boy had restrained him.

“Please swallow it. It will get better and help you from not fading.”

That voice again. It sounded so therapeutic and calming that Keiji had no choice but to obey as tears streamed down his face.

Slowly, the ill sensation in his chest had subsided magically. The pain had stopped and the colour of his skin slowly returned. Keiji slowly rotated his arms and noticed it was real and sighed in relief. Although scared, he managed a small ‘thank you’ at the boy before him.

A small smile was hinted at his face. “My name is Samu. Nice to meet you, Keiji”

**Author's Note:**

> The kanji word '油' refers to the public bathhouses and read as 'Abura' in Japanese. In Chinese, it means oil.


End file.
